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Plymouth Primary Schools Lead the Way in Turning Food Waste into Power

Dec 09, 2013

Alpha Logic, a company specialising in providing waste management solutions, have signed a three year deal with Plymouth City Council to look after the food waste recycling for all council-managed primary schools.

The new deal will see Alpha Logic provide a daily food waste collection service for 78 primary schools in total across the city. Previously, the schools’ food waste was directed to landfill as part of their general waste. However, the new partnership will now allow for food waste to be diverted from landfill and instead turned into a green energy source using Langage Farm’s anaerobic digestion plant.

The partnership will result in between 400 and 500 tonnes of food waste being redirected from landfill, improving the schools’ environmental impact. Plymouth City Council is one of the first councils to commit to such a food waste recycling service for schools, cementing their commitment to protecting the environment.

Councillor Brian Vincent, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “We are extremely pleased to be supporting this fantastic initiative that will see many hundreds of tonnes of food waste, once destined for landfill, put to good use to create much needed green energy.

“Thanks to Alpha Logic and Hyde Park School for starting this particular ball rolling – it’s a great idea that we are only too happy to help implement to all Council-maintained schools. We are committed to looking after our environment and reusing as much of our valuable resources as possible to ensure we are a greener council and a greener city.”

Alpha Logic was originally contacted by Hyde Park School about a possible food waste recycling service. Discussing their interest in recycling their food waste, Mrs Bernie Evans from Hyde Park Junior School said: “As an environmentally friendly school we are always looking for ways of reducing our carbon footprint. After contacting various waste management companies we were delighted to find that Alpha Logic were able to recycle not only our normal paper, plastics etc. but also our waste food. This is in line with our current and long term plan of working towards a greener educational establishment.”

Neil Stallard, Director of Alpha Logic, spoke of the new partnership: “We’re thrilled to be embarking on this new partnership with Plymouth City Council. The amount of food waste that is currently going to landfill is unnecessary and this new deal will help to reduce local schools’ environmental impact whilst also reducing the associated landfill costs.”

Using Langage Farm’s anaerobic digestion plant, food waste is broken down by bacteria that ‘eat’ through the waste. Methane gas is created as a by-product and is used to power both the engine and an electrical generator. The energy is then used to power the plant, whilst any excess energy is directed to the national grid. The one output from this process is dried and used as an organic fertiliser on the farm.

Further information about the food waste recycling service provided by Alpha Logic can be found at www.alpha-logic.com or by calling 0845 094 3370.